Billionaire Coca-Cola boss is forced to pay $11MILLION for sexually harassing an ex-employee

Coca-Cola billionaire entrepreneur, Alkiviades ‘Alki’ David has been ordered to pay $11 million to his former employee in a sexual assault trial.

Alkiviades ‘Alki’ David, whose family business is the Leventis-David group which owns the Coca-Cola Hellenic bottling plants, was sued by Chasity Jones, a 42-year-old former employee who claims she was fired for refusing his sexual advances.

On Friday, a California jury awarded Jones $3.1 million in compensatory damages and a further $8 million in punitive damages for committing sexual battery.

The $11 million total is one of the biggest payouts from a sexual harassment suit, according to Jones’ attorney Lisa Bloom.

David has said the sum is ridiculous and insists he will not pay.

David is also a founder of online TV provider FilmOn.TV and Hologram USA which is known for providing holograms at festivals and he also has a business selling oil extracted from cannabis plants, which he markets as a treatment for a range of conditions – with the endorsement of celebrities including rapper Snoop Dogg and fashion designer Donatella Versace.

The dramatic two-week trial included heating exchanges from both sides, with each legal team trying to tarnish the reputation of the other with Instagram photos, social media posts and lurid allegations.

The proceedings were littered with heated outbursts from David, 50, who called Jones ‘abhorrent’, said she should ‘do something with her life’ and even got down on his knees and offered her attorneys his wallet.

David was accused of groping Jones by running his hands up her legs under the pretense of offering sympathy for the loss of her mother, and among a slew of other allegations, terminating her employment when she would not have sex with him.

Alki’s defense attempted to dispute Jones’ claims, suggesting the lawsuit was an opportunistic bid to exact money from the Greek billionaire.

Jones alleged the incidents left her suffering from PTSD, however David’s defense tried to submit a series of Instagram photos showing her enjoying a lavish lifestyle at around the time of the trial.

However, under Californian law, evidence that would impeach the credibility of the accuser, such as sexually proactive images, are prohibited.

The photos were not entered into evidence as a result.

The images, obtained exclusively by the DailyMail.com, show Jones appearing to enjoy a jet-set lifestyle and mingling among stars – in one instance she posed with world famous boxer Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather at a Bel Air function.

A source with close legal knowledge of the case told the DailyMail.com: ‘In California, you can’t enter evidence to impeach the credibility of the accuser.

‘No sexually provocative photos she may have posted, no anecdotes about flirtatious behavior or lewd comments she may have made about her night time activities.

‘Meanwhile, you can use character evidence against the accused – even, as in this case, a parade of people who have their own suits against the defendant and have a financial interest in seeing him lose.’

The source added, in reference to her PTSD: ‘Ms Jones was collecting disability from the State of California for what her doctor called PTSD related to her allegations – even while she posted elaborately posed bikini photos from Cabo and Cancun and leased a Maserati.’

Jones’ attorney, Lisa Bloom told DailyMail.com: ‘She wasn’t “traveling the world,” merely to nearby places like Palm Springs or Mexico on short trips of a few days each with her family. That was the undisputed testimony.

‘Women with PTSD still work, take trips, see friends, and do their best. They also suffer from insomnia, hyper vigilance, anxiety and stress, and get triggered by their abuser.

‘We won $11 million because the jury found she had been sexually assaulted three times by Alki David, and his companies knew about the hostile environment and failed to stop him.

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